In the last couple of years, there have been several new cigar companies that have transcended the need to just create a good cigar. Some of these new cigar companies are trying to project themselves not only as a cigar maker/factory but a lifestyle brand within the cigar industry. All of us know the most famous of these brands, such as Drew Estate and Tatuaje. But Pete’s Tatuaje brand and Jonathan Drew seem to be the old players on a team of new school stars which consist of 262 Cigars, 13th Floor Cigars, Viaje, Room 101, and last but not least Panacea Cigars aka Flatbed Cigar Company. Many of the brands stated above have gone “modern” with their branding even including graffiti in their labeling and merchandise (i.e. “Urban” Cigars by Augusto Reyes and clothing by Tatuaje), modern rock or even hip-hop as influential muses for their cigar creations, unconventional vitola sizes, and even political/social movements in an attempt to break the mold of the conventional cigar brand. Flatbed Cigar Company seems to have gone in a completely opposite direction, trying to keep it “old school” in their vision, but not “old school” in the sense of Cuba, Nicaragua, or Dominican, but instead towards a vision of “Old School Americana.” Flatbed Cigar Company harkens to the historic pasts of years gone by in the country sides of Pennsylvania, and its rich past as one of the largest producers of cigars in the world. Their packaging is unique in the fact that cigars are sent not in boxes but in vintage looking tin cans or old wood crates. Sample packs are packaged in old burlap sacks, and even their clothing reminds me of Dickie’s work wear from decades ago. But don’t let unique packaging fool you, Flatbed’s concentration is on the leaf, and nothing more. Their stated philosophy is “put all the money into tobacco. If we focus on making great cigars they will sell themselves over time.” With good marks from several different reviewers, I don’t doubt their philosophy will hold true.

I have been working my way through a sampler of cigars sent to me by Paul Bush of the Flatbed Cigar Company that contained each of their four Panacea cigars. I chose to try them in the order that they were released since the inception of the company and the brand. I started out with the mild and delicious Panacea Black Connecticut, followed that up with its brother the Panacea Black Maduro, and then smoked the large and robust Panacea Red 560. So now I come to the last cigar in the sampler. The Panacea Green is the blend I have been looking most forward to. It is the newest edition to the Panacea brand. According to their website they worked on this blend for over a year before it finally debuted in February of this year.

The Panacea Red is the second blend from the Flatbed Cigar Company. Billed as a bolder, more full-bodied blend their website tells us we can expect all the great flavors of the Panacea Black Maduro only in a fuller, stronger experience. Read about my experience with the Black Maduro here, and if you are unfamiliar with the Flatbed Cigar Company and Panacea cigars, check out my review of the Panacea Black Natural here. The Red changes things up a bit with the introduction of a Habano binder and plenty of Ligero tobacco. The wrapper is the same dark Brazilian Maduro that is used on the Panacea Black Maduro. The 560 is a big beefy cigar and the guys at Flatbed decided it needed its own band that is more appropriate for a cigar of this girth, “We also gave it a different style Black Label band better suited for a big-ole cigar.”

Panacea cigars are a product from the Flatbed Cigar Company. I gave a rundown of the outfit in my review of the Panacea Black Natural that I posted recently. Give it a read if you need or want to know more about them, or just visit their website. The Black label line was their first, initial release with an Ecuadorian grown Connecticut Shade wrapper. The line was quickly expanded to include a maduro-wrapped version of the blend. That is what I am smoking today.

I was recently contacted by a gentleman named Paul Bush, owner of the Flatbed Cigar Company. He asked if I had heard of and/or tried any of his cigars. He also asked if I’d be interested in trying them if I hadn’t. I informed Paul that while I had indeed heard of his cigars, I hadn’t yet had the pleasure of trying any of them. He generously offered to remedy that and he sent me a sampler of his cigars.

As we just celebrated the 4th of July holiday in the US, I wanted to review something that had an American flare to it. I came across the Panacea Green label which has a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper. I have never smoked a cigar with this type of wrapper, so I decided to give it a try. The Panacea Green is manufactured by the Flatbed Cigar Company in the Dominican Republic. The filler is a triple ligero, so this one should pack some punch. They ferment their wrapper leaves in Bucks County, PA; the company’s website offers a nice write-up on the cigar tradition of this region. Since I have never smoked a Pennsylvania Broadleaf-wrapped cigar, I did some research on the wrapper. I came across a very nice and detailed description of it at Mike's blog called “Some Guy Named Mike”. The featured cigar is the Panacea Green Label Torpedo.

Early last month I got excited reading some reviews on the Panacea Black and Panacea Red. Both sounded like cigars that I would really enjoy. So I added them to my ever growing list of cigars to try and then semi-unexpectedly I received a pair of Panacea Black Robusto Maduros from Paul Bush, the owner of the Flat Bed Cigar Company. (Cigar Inspector told me to watch for some samples, but I was surprised to see they were Panaceas.)

Well after a short rest in my humidor I pulled them out over the weekend for review. Here are my thoughts.

Paul Bush from Flatbed Cigar Company sent me a sampler of these for review. Panacea cigars are produced in the Dominican Republic. The company, founded 2 years ago, currently has two blends - Panacea Red being the more powerful. Flatbed Cigar Company claims taking an old-school approach to the cigar business by focusing on making great cigars. Let's see what the result is.